The Perfect Gift
by Abigail the Jedi
Summary: It's Pippin's birthday & Merry gets a guilt complex. This is for Rissa.


Author's note and disclaimer: This is a little piece of fluff that I wrote for my Pippin's birthday. I hope you like it. Happy 16th. Oh yes, all this belongs to the almighty Professor Tolkien. Honor his name and the lawyers. Read and Reveiw. (Yes I know it's cliched.)  
  
The Perfect Gift  
  
It was a bright day in May and Meriadoc Brandybuck knew he was forgetting something the moment he woke up. As he pulled on his clothes and wandered in asleep induced haze down to breakfast, it nagged annoyingly at the edges of his mind. But for all the warnings it took his mother to remind him.  
  
"How did you sleep?" Esmerelda asked her son as he sat down at the table. He grunted in reply and heaped johnnycakes on his plate. Merry was not a morning hobbit and he let everyone know it. Seeing her son wasn't responding his mother switched tactics. "I hope you're at least going to change your shirt before we go to the party."  
  
"What party?" asked Merry alarmed.  
  
"Pippin's 29th birthday of course! Are you feeling all right dear? It's not like you to forget things."  
  
"I'm fine Mum," said Merry finishing his breakfast at break neck speed. "Where's Da?"  
  
Esmerelda looked at her son with concern, "Your father is out for his morning walk as usual. Are you sure you are quite fine? You look flushed."  
  
"I'm fine Mum! I've just got to go out for a while." Merry rushed out of the room, giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek before wading through the mass of relations in the halls. Once outside of Brandy hall he broke into a run that he kept up for about five minutes before he collapsed panting. The rest of the trip was hitched on the back of a passing farmer's cart.  
  
As soon as he reached Buckleberry Merry began to go from one market stall to the next. It was not the hobbit custom to give gifts to the one whose birthday it was but for them to give gifts to you. But Merry was going to do something special for Pippin, even at the cost of conventionality.  
  
He had a bad habit of giving Pippin rather cheap, slightly odd gifts but no longer. He was going to get pippin the best, most expensive gift he could and he wasn't going to wait six months until his own birthday.  
  
Pippin was the best friend Merry ever had or would have, closer than a brother. Who else was there to put up with all of his crazy schemes, even the one with the firework? Who else was there to get merry out of whatever mess he happened to get into? Who else could convince his parents to let him come over, even when Merry was on probation? Who else would stand by him forever? Only Pippin.  
  
Wandering through the marketplace he kept his eyes open for the perfect gift. He didn't know what it would be but he knew he would recognize it the moment he saw it. Vendors called out to him to buy their wares but Merry ignored them. He had a mission and nothing would stop him.  
  
Actually, he passed by the perfect gift twice before even noticing it. The perfect gift was hidden under what appeared to be the perfect pile of junk. It was a small box with its delicate carvings making it seem grand and impressive for all of its five-inch height. Merry got it for next to nothing as the owner just saw it as another worthless mathom he was trying to get rid of. This somehow made it seem much less adequate as a candidate for the perfect gift and Merry now looked desperately for something to fill it with.  
  
A gold (very expensive) pocket watch seemed to fit the bill nicely but Merry had his doubts. What if Pippin didn't like it? It certainly was very costly and very nice but he personally thought it looked like something his father would own.  
  
When the party finally did come around Merry started to get nervous. His palms were sweaty and his tongue stuck to the top of his dry mouth. No hobbit (that he knew of) had ever done this before. What would Pippin think? Probably that the whole thing was a joke. Typical Pip.  
  
There he was now, smiling at the gate as he welcomed the guests in. "Merry!" he cried, "Uncle Sara and Aunt Esme! It's so good to see you all! Come in!" Merry tried to get his attention and dragged him off to a secluded area.  
  
"Here's your gift Mer," Said Pippin handing him an oddly wrapped bundle. He bounced up and down with barely concealed excitement as Merry opened it. "Do you like it? I had it made just for you." It was a beautifully made pipe, smooth, with just a delicately carved MB on the bowl.  
  
"Thank you," said Merry, he could not think of much more to say to express his gratitude. "I've got something for you too Pip."  
  
Pippin looked at Merry oddly but he took the box and opened it. "Umm..." he said as he dangled the pocket watch in front of him, "It's nice but it looks like something my father would wear."  
  
"I wanted to show you how much you meant to me and I wanted to get you something worthwhile without having to wait for my birthday," Merry said feeling very much embarrassed and slightly ashamed.  
  
"But I liked your other gifts. The picture, the duck, and even the scarf. Tell you what, I'll keep the box and you can give the watch to my father at your next birthday. I like the box better anyway," he said, tracing the engraved tree and stars with his finger.  
  
"Come on Pip. Frodo let slip that he sings embarrassing songs when he gets drunk and I intend to see if he told the truth," Merry said as they walked back to the rest of the party leaving odd notions and a gaudy pocket watch behind them.  
  
The End  
  
Happy Birthday Rissa. 


End file.
